Happy peaceful pootling about in the kitchen, the house already tidy, some sunlight streaming through, the kitchen counters immaculate, some particularly good play on Radio 4, absolute contentment. So I've added a new tag on a bunch of dishes that I consider to be
weekend-cooks. You could also call it project-cooking. You're not preparing a meal for immediate consumption, you're cooking for the pleasure of it. So the things that I've counted as weekend-cooks are...
- making vast quantities of something, like a vat of bolognese or lots lasagne
- something that needs overnight prep and/or a slow cook, like Moroccan stew or luxurious dahl
- enjoyable prep of a main ingredient, which isn't food on its own, like balti and garam masala or green masala paste
- quick nibbly stuff like dips, to stock up, and maybe eat some of it as part of a collation lunch - like tapenade, marinated olives, or (still to come) garlic pickle, pesto, coriander chutney...
- side-dish projects that take some time, like kimchi
Weekend cooking like this shouldn't ever be a chore, it's a pleasure, a hobby, it's when you feel like pottering about in the kitchen.
Weekends cooking past:
